Stage III colon cancer survivor grateful for MD Anderson’s expertise

There was a point during colorectal cancer treatment when Tommy Allen didn’t think he was going to live. He was in pain 24 hours a day, the tumor wasn’t responding to chemotherapy and no doctor in the area was comfortable performing surgery on him due to the tumor’s location.

That was all before he got to MD Anderson. Today, Tommy is cancer-free, and he loves sharing his story of hope, commitment and triumph.

A challenging colon cancer diagnosis

Tommy began having severe stomach pain in November 2018. He also noticed blood in his stool.

“He called me to the bathroom. There was so much blood, and it was bright red,” recalls his wife, Teresa. “He asked, ‘This isn’t normal, is it?’” She told him, “Absolutely not.”

Tommy’s symptoms worsened over the next few months. He visited several doctors near his home in Alabama before finally receiving a cancer diagnosis. He was 57. He and Teresa were devastated.

He had surgery in June 2019, but the surgeon was unable to remove all of the cancer because it was around so many delicate organs. Tommy began chemotherapy, and the surgeon referred him to a chief surgeon nearby.

“The chief surgeon looked at my scans and pretty much said there was nothing he could do for me,” says Tommy. “He said my cancer was in high-priced real estate and no surgeon would mess with it because it’s just too dangerous.”

Meanwhile, Tommy became very sick from the chemotherapy treatments. He went from 230 pounds to 140 pounds. Even worse, the cancer was not shrinking.

Teresa knew they needed to find the best place for treatment.

They learned of MD Anderson from a friend. Teresa researched and saw that MD Anderson was No. 1 in the nation for cancer care. They made an appointment.

Long road to MD Anderson

On Dec. 20, 2019, Tommy and Teresa met with gastrointestinal medical oncologist Ryan Huey, M.D. Huey told them about clinical trial results that showed the effectiveness of using an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab to treat advanced MSI-H colorectal cancer. Testing showed that Tommy had colorectal cancer that was MSI-high, which responds well to immunotherapy. Huey recommended this treatment, and Tommy and Teresa agreed.

The plan was for Tommy to start the immunotherapy back home under the care of his local oncologist, then come to MD Anderson in 10 weeks for follow-up testing.

Unfortunately, the tumor eventually wrapped around his intestines and caused a blockage. Tommy was vomiting and unable to pass stool. He was in and out of the hospital for dehydration.

“When the doctor came to check on him in the emergency room, I told the doctor that we planned to go to MD Anderson,” says Teresa. “He told us, ‘That will be the best thing for him. Get him to MD Anderson.’”

Teresa drove Tommy from Tuscaloosa to Houston. The drive was long, and Tommy was so sick that she kept having to pull over.

“He was vomiting so bad, but I was determined to get him to MD Anderson,” she says.

And she did. When they arrived, Tommy’s care team began running tests right away.

MD Anderson develops plan for colon cancer treatment

Tommy had stage III colon cancer, but the cancer was growing into his pancreas. Genetic testing showed he had Lynch syndrome, which increases the risk for several cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Tommy discussed the possibility of surgery with his doctors, including Huey, colon and rectal surgeon Craig Messick, M.D., and Michael Kim, M.D., a surgical oncologist who specializes in surgeries of the pancreas. They said it was critical to fix the blockage before attempting to do anything else.

So, on April 3, 2020, Messick performed an ileostomy to divert stool from Tommy’s small intestine.

“He was feeling down at first about the ostomy, but I told him you have to get up and walk around,” says Teresa. “I told him, ‘We’ll get through this – one step at a time.’”  

Tommy’s care team showed Teresa how to care for the ostomy appliance before they returned home to Alabama. Tommy would continue treatment there under the guidance of his MD Anderson doctors. The plan was for Tommy to get his weight up and get healthy enough to see if he would be fit for surgery. He’d seen a clinical dietitian at MD Anderson who shared tips on how he could get more protein and nutrients.

Tommy continued immunotherapy at home. He contacted MD Anderson’s Supportive Care Center to help with pain management and when he and Teresa had challenges with the ostomy appliance.

Follow-up scans showed that the immunotherapy had killed about 60% of the tumor.

MD Anderson surgical team completes complex procedure

Tommy had gained weight and followed his care team’s recommendations. Since the tumor was shrinking, he hoped he’d be a candidate for surgery.  

MD Anderson surgeons perform more than 150 Whipple procedures each year, primarily to treat pancreatic cancer. Tommy would need a Whipple procedure, but for colon cancer. This would also include removal of part of his colon. A Whipple procedure for locally advanced colon cancer invading into the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) and/or pancreas is a highly complex surgery.

“I was feeling good, and I was ready to get rid of the ostomy,” says Tommy.

Finally, he and Teresa got the news they had been waiting for.

“Dr. Kim and Dr. Messick said that based on my nutrition and response to the immunotherapy, I would be able to have surgery,” recalls Tommy. “They were assembling a team of 10 clinicians, and the surgery would take 12 hours.”

As the surgery date approached, Tommy continued putting on weight and got mentally prepared.

He had the surgery on Aug. 31, 2020. Kim did the Whipple procedure, and Messick performed a partial colectomy as well as an ileostomy closure. The surgeons were able to remove all of the cancer.

“I was ecstatic,” says Tommy.

He stayed in the hospital for several days after surgery to recover. His doctors monitored him closely because of the risk for complications and infection after the surgery.

Teresa was unable to be with him because of COVID-19 protocols. She stayed in a hotel nearby and busied herself painting rocks and making banners for Tommy. She’d stand outside the hospital holding the banners. Tommy could look down and see her from his room.

“Everybody at MD Anderson has been phenomenal, from the doctors to the APPs, nurses and dietitians,” says Teresa. “Tommy’s doctors called me after the surgery and told me the good news about how it went. I was just so thankful.”

Teresa holds up a banner outside of Tommy's room.

Thankful for a second chance at life

It’s been five years since Tommy’s Whipple procedure. He’s now eligible for survivorship care. He’s up to 210 pounds, just 20 pounds shy of the weight he was when he was first diagnosed. He’s able to eat almost everything he wants.

“I do have some side effects, like diarrhea, but I can manage that with medication,” he says.

Tommy and Teresa enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren, as well as going out to eat. Teresa comes with him to MD Anderson for scans and checkups.    

“Our love for each other has grown even more,” says Teresa. “We don’t take anything for granted. It’s the little things in life that matter the most.”

Tommy and Teresa tell everybody back home about MD Anderson and encourage anybody who receives a cancer diagnosis to come to MD Anderson.

“We’ve seen the sign that reads, ‘Where you go first matters,’” says Tommy. “I didn’t get the opportunity to come here first, but once I did get to MD Anderson, I understood those words couldn’t be truer. MD Anderson is the best place you can go for cancer treatment.”

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.